Chicken and Tarragon Hotpot

CHICKEN & TARRAGON HOTPOT

10 thumbs up for this meal - the tarragon gives it a really lovely flavour!

Cooks in two hours on the stove, or perfect for popping into the slow cooker for an instant meal at dinner time.

FREE on Extra Easy



2 onions, cut into quarters
2 carrots, cut into medium sized pieces
1 head of garlic, crushed or pressed
7 oz beans (green or yellow), cut in half
Frylight
8 Chicken thighs with skin and bones removed
1 lb potatoes, cut in rough chunks
1 /12 pt chicken stock
4-5 sprigs of tarragon
salt & pepper

REGULAR METHOD:
1.  Preheat oven to 180C or 350F and spray a large flame-proof casserole dish with fry light.  On hob (burners), cook pieces of chicken until lightly browned on all sides, then add onions, carrots, garlic, potatoes, stock, tarragon, salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.

2.  Transfer casserole dish to the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.  Add beans and cook another 10 minutes.


SLOW COOKER METHOD:
1.  Spray non-stick fry pan with fry light, and brown chicken pieces.

2.  Transfer chicken to slow cooker, and add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 7 hours, or hight for 4 hours.

Beef Stew

BEEF STEW

1 syn per serving on Extra Easy

10 thumbs up from the family, and a wonderful, traditional British, satisfying dish on a cold day.

Also a good dinner to pop into the slow cooker for an instant meal at dinner time - no mess, no fuss!


Serves 4






12 shallots (or 2 onions if shallots are hard to find), chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
4 potatoes, chopped
Frylight
1 lb, 4 oz of cubed steak (or casserole beef) all visible fat removed
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bouquet garni
6 oz button mushrooms, halved
2 tsp onion gravy granules or beef granules
salt & pepper

REGULAR METHOD:
1.  Spray large pan with frylight and add shallots.  Fry for 5 minutes on high until browned.

2.  place carrots, parsnips, potatoes, steak, tomato puree, garni and 1 1/2 pints water into large pot.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3.  Add mushrooms and shallots, and simmer for 20 more minutes.  Add gravy granules, and stir until thickened.  Add salt and pepper.


SLOW COOKER:
1.  1.  Spray large pan with frylight and add shallots.  Fry for 5 minutes on high until browned.

2.  Transfer shallots to slow cooker, along with all remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

As a healthy B, you could add a lovely dinner roll to compliment this dish.

Turkey and Mushroom Stroganoff

FREE on Extra Easy

TURKEY AND MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Serves: 4

Fry Light
4 bacon rashers (remove visible fat, and cut into strips)
1lb cooked turkey (or chicken)
400g can chopped tomatoes
1/4 pint (142 ml or 1/2 cup) chicken stock
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
11oz halved button mushrooms
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt & pepper
1oz (198g) fat free formage frais
flat leaf parsley, chopped
boiled rice or egg noodles.

1.  Spray a large pan with fry light and cook the bacon and turkey for 3-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes, stock, peppers, mushrooms and dried herbs.  Season and bring to a boil.

2.  Reduce the heat, cover and cook 15-20 mins.  Remove from heat, stir in formage frais, top with parsley.

Serve over boiled rice, or mix with egg noodles before serving.

FREE on extra Easy
This recipe received 9 thumbs up from our family!

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Uncle Ben's makes an express meal (which is delicious) called "Chicken and Mushroom Risotto".  It is high in syn value, but I was sure I could make it in a healthier way!

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO
(serves 2)

250g Risotto Rice
1 1/2 pints water or chicken broth, heated
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt & pepper
frylight
1/2 onion, chopped
12  medium mushroom, chopped roughly
2 Chicken breasts - cooked


1.  Spray frylight in large skillet.  Put on high heat, and add risotto rice.  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic.    leave on heat 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep rice from toasting too much.

2.  Add heated broth, herbs and salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, then simmer on med. heat for 20 minutes.

3.  Add chicken, and remove from heat.  Serve!

For alternate tastes - add formage frais for a more creamy risotto (free), or 14 grams of grated cheese (which will be counted as a half a healthy extra A, or 3 syns)

On Extra Easy, this is FREE


It was delicious!!  Certainly something I'll make again!

Tomato and Basil Risotto

TOMATO AND BASIL RISOTTO

This is FREE on Extra Easy - and a lovely side to chicken, beef or pork!  Add a salad or some grilled veggies for the perfect dinner.  It received a 10 thumbs up from our family!

Serves 4
ready in about 40 minutes

Frylight
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed
6 large tomatoes, chopped
12 oz (340g) risotto rice
1 pt (568ml) hot stock or water
salt & pepper
1 oz fresh basil


1.  Spray large skillet with frylight.  Place over medium heat, and add onion, celery and garlic.  Cook 5 minutes. with the lid on.

2.   Stir in tomatoes, increase heat to high, and cook 5 more minutes uncovered.  Stir frequently.

3.  Add rice to veggies, and stir well.  Add half the stock, and bring rice to a vigorous simmer, keeping skillet covered, for 10 minutes.  Stir occassionally to keep rice from sticking to bottom.  Add remaining stock, and recover for 5 more minutes.

4.  Remove pan from heat, remove lid and cover with a clean tea towel, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Season and top with basil leaves when served.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This has quickly become a FAMILY FAVOURITE! It gets 10 thumbs up, and I think it would get more if we had more thumbs!

This is just delicious on it's own, over rice, or leave out the passata and add a mess of stir fry veggies!  No matter how you serve it, it's a winner.

And it's FREE on Extra Easy!

serves 4 (but easily serves our 2 adults and 3 children)
take about 15 minutes to prepare, plus 30 mins of marinating time



SWEET N' SOUR CHICKEN

6 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into chunky pieces
6 spring onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed
salt & pepper
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp artificial sweetener (we use splenda)
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (available in most grocery stores)
100ml (3 1/2 oz) passata

1.  marinate chicken in a mixture of spring onions, garlic, salt, pepper and soy sauce for 30 minutes.

2.  Spray skillet with fry light, and place over high heat.  Add chicken and marinate mixture, and cook for 6 minutes.

3.  Add remaining ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook for 4 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through)

To make as a stir fry, omit the passata, and add stir fry vegtables after step 3.  (stir fry veggies only take a couple of minutes to cook, generally)

Serve on rice, or on a jacket potato!

Turkey and Thyme Hotpot

TURKEY AND THYME HOTPOT

This was a delicious meal, and received 9 thumbs up from our family (we have one that doesn't prefer his foods mixed together).

Takes about 30 minutes to cook, or just prepare it in the morning and put it into the slow cooker for an instant meal on a busy day!

Extra Easy gives this ONE point per serving.
Makes 4 servings.

PERFECT for Turkey leftovers!



2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Frylight
2 leeks, chopped
4-6 medium carrots, cut into chunks
9 oz back bacon (all visible fat removed), chopped
1 lb turkey breast fillet, or turkey leftovers, chopped with skin removed (or substitute chicken)
Handful of fresh thyme, chopped
7 oz mushrooms, chopped
1/2 pt chicken stock (or veg stock)
1 tbsp gravy granules
salt & pepper

SLOWER COOKER METHOD:
1.  Spray non-stick frying pan with frylight, and cook leeks and bacon for 5 minutes on high heat.  Transfer to slow cooker.

2.  Add remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 7 hours, or high for 4 hours.


REGULAR METHOD:
1.  Place potatoes into hot water and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Strain.

2.  Meanwhile, spray non-stick frying pan with frylight and cook leeks and bacon for 5 minutes on high heat.  Add turkey, thyme, mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add stock, gravy granules, carrots and potatoes, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

6 Months in....

It's been six months since I began this journey -- and 60 pounds lost.  I am SO proud of myself!  I'm feeling fantastic, and just cleared almost all of my "big" clothes out of my closet!  I've had to buy new jeans, and I'm on the last hole on my belt!  

3 Months in...

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